Control device



' Dec. 8, 1936. N. SCHELLENGER ET AL 2,063,343

CONTROL DEVICE Filed Nov. 13, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l I I'm/e72 tors.- Newton 5072 eZZenger M7Zfl72 fiflr/smfin.

135 hwy Dec. 1936 N. c. SCHELLENGER ET'AL 2,063,343

CONTROL DEVICE Filed Nov. 13, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [72 2/672 tors.

Newto n CScheZZen e7: Merv/72 Efif/SWZAWL.

1936.. N. c. SCHELLENGER ET AL 2,063,343

CONTROL DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 13, 1933 r r w e n e H mm m w m F 55 n n 0 l t v MW E20: MA

Dec. 8,1936. N. c. SCHELLENGER ET AL CONTROL DEVICE Filed NOV. 13, 1933 4 Sheets$heet 4 3 Fa -1a I H 749.

n 3 m; fl m mm M 65 .4 MW w? NMB roent en. e, 1936/ Q 12 053 343 UNITED STATES PATENT orrl'cr.

Newton 0. Schellenger and Mervin B. Elkhart, Ind,, asslgnors to Chicago Telephone tfiiupply 00., Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Inana Application November '13, 1938, Serial No. 697,718 10 Claims. 401. 201-55) This invention relates .to control devices and arrangement also provides advantages in the particularly to housing and mounting arrangements therefor.

More particularly, the invention relates to va- 5 riable resistance devices employed in volume control .units and tone control units for radio sets, such devices including a resistance element and a cooperating contactor enclosed in a housing usually having a cylindrical shape and adapted 10 to be mounted on the rear face of a supporting member, or panel member having perforations extending therethrough to receive mounting ears extending from the unit and bent over to secure the unit on the panel member. l5 ,Heretofore, control units have been secured to a panel member'either by screws engaging the casing of the control unit and the panel member, or by a threaded bushing (commonly known as a thimble bushing") carrying the control unit and projecting through a perforation in the panel member to receive a mounting nut which clamps the control unit against the panel memher; the bushing also serves to journal the actuating shaft of the variableresistance device. The g5 methodmost commonly practiced has employed the threaded bushing but this has been subject to certain disadvantages and has caused certain difficulties in practice. Inthe threaded bushing type of mounting some additional provision must ,0 be made to prevent rotation of the control unit on the panel member as the shaft is rotated, particularly when the stops limiting the rotation are reached; the threaded bushing is expensive to manufacture and assemble; the bushing takes; 35 valuable space when assembled in the unit; and

an undue strain is placed on the panel member due to the one point support of the unit. Furthermore, the mounting nut and its washer are not only expensive to provide, but are likelyv to m be lost before the control unit is mounted.

In the co-pending application of Newton C. Schellenger, Serial No. 671,031 filed May 15, 1933, of which this application is in .part a continuation, there is disclosed an arrangement for --mounting the unit on a panel member, in which arrangement a plurality of cars are formed on the periphery of the casing member which houses the variable resistance device, the ears being adapted to project through perforations in the panel member and vbeing secured against the front wall of the panel member. This arrangement has numerous advantages over the prior devices, such as, simplicity, inexpensiveness of manufacture and assembly, ruggedness, com.-

pactness, and of supportprovided. The

construction of the variable resistance device itself, such as, firm bearing for the operating,

shaft and simplicity of construction of the mem bers. 5

The present application relates to a mounting arrangement similar to that disclosed in the aforementioned application and in'addition to certain extensions and modifications of the inventive concept disclosed in the aforementioned 10 application. I

One form of the invention disclosed herein fol- I lows the teachings of the aforementioned .copending application and comprises a variable resistance device having a casing member pro- 16 vided with integral ears extending therefrom, which ears project through perforations in the supporting member or panel and are bent over against the panel to clinch the. casing member thereto. q I In another form of the invention disclosed herein a. substantially planar mounting member is provided having a diameter slightlygreater than the diameter of the principal casing member and a series of circumferentially disposed 5 mounting ears; the mounting member is secured to the casing in a manner to provide a shoulderprojecting radially beyond the periphery of the casing. In such an arrangement, the mounting ears are formed ona member having substan- 3o tially no depth and hem: the ears can easily be accurately positioned and the shoulder provided by the mounting member serves as a seat for the die employed in bendingover the mounting ears when the variable resistance device is mounted. as

In another form of the presontinventlon the ears are struck from portions of the casing near the central portion of the blank and are twisted into engagement with the supporting member and hence no substantial pressure need be ap- 4Q plied to the casing during the mounting operation.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a variable resistance device which is simple and rugged, inexpensive to manufacture and which may be simply and strongly mounted to on a. panel mounting member;

Another object of the invention is the provision of a variable resistance device having a drawn metallic casing which may beinexpensively and accurately formed and readily attached to a 60 panel mounting member. 1

Another object of the invention is the provision of a variable resistancedevice having bendable elements for mounting the device ona panel mounting member and an arrangement for bend- 66 ing over the mounting element against the panel mounting member to clamp the device thereto.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an arrangement for mounting a variable resistance device on a supporting member, which arrangement is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and which renders the mounting operation simple and expeditious.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a variable resistance device housing which may readily be attached to a supporting member with a minimum of diiiiculty or expense and with the minimum possibility of damage to the variable resistance device or the supporting member.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partially in cross-section, showing a variable resistance device and supporting member embodying the invention;

Fig. 2. is a side elevational view showing the invention as applied to another form of housing for the variable resistance device;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, partially in cross-section, showing a variable resistance device and supporting member therefor embodying another form of the invention;

Figs. 4 and 5 are oblique views showing the mounting member and casing member respectively;

Fig. 6 is an oblique front view showing a portion of the supporting member with the variable resistance device; I

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the variable resistance device attached to the mounting member;

Figs. 8 and 9 are elevational views, partially in cross-section, showing the device and the die for bending over the mounting ears, the die being shown fragmentarily and in partly open and in closed position respectively;

Figs. 10 and 11 are side elevational, partially sectional, and front elevational views respectively showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 12 is a side elevational view, partially in cross-section showing another modified form;

Fig. 13 is an oblique view showing the mounting member employed in the forms of the invention shown in Figs. 10 and 12;

Figs. 14 and 15 are oblique views showing a still further modification unmounted and mounted respectively;

Fig. 16 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 15; and

Figs. 17 to 19 are enlarged fragmentary views showing a detail of construction.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a variable resistance device I in position to be secured to a supporting member 2, for example, the sub-panel of a radio chassis.

The variable resistance device I comprises a drawn or die pressed cupped casing member 3 and a drawn cover member 4 adapted to telescope over the end of the cupped casing member 3 and secured thereto by integral tongues 5 on the cover member 4 bent over lugs 6 on the cupped casing member 3. Mounted in the cupped casing member 3 and insulated therefrom by an insulating strip "I is a resistance element 0 on which bears a contactor 9 driven by an actuator I0 carried by a shaft II. The shaft II is journaled in hardened bearings I2, I3 formed integral with the respective casing members 3, 4 during the drawing operation. The bearings are hardened by a cold working of these portions of the casing during the forming of the casing members but may alternatively be hardened by a separate operation. The ends of the resistance element 8 are electrically connected to two terminals I4 respectively, (one of which is shown) and the contactor 9 is connected to another terminal I5 whereby the variable resistance device I can be connected in an electrical circuit (not shown).

Struck from the material forming the bottom wall of the cupped casing member 3 are a plurality of mounting ears I6 which are spaced circumferentially about the bottom wall and constitute extensions of the side wall of the casing member 3. The supporting member 2 is provided with perforations I8, I9 spaced to receive the ears I6 and the shaft II respectively, as shown in Fig. 1. When the variable resistance device I is mounted, the ears I6 enter their respective perforations I8 and are. bent over against the front wall of the supporting member 2 to clamp the variable resistance device I thereto.

In Fig. 2 is shown an analogous arrangement for mounting a variable resistance device of slightly different construction.

In this embodiment of the invention, the variable resistance device 20 comprises a cupped casing member 2| preferably formed by drawing, and provided with integral mounting ears 22 constituting circumferentially spaced extensions of the side wall portion of the cupped casing member 2I. Also formed integrally with the cupped casing member 2I is a plurality of ears 23 which are bent over against a base member 24 which closes the end of the cupped casing member 2|.

The variable resistance device 20 is mounted in a manner similar to that described in connection with the device shown in Fig. 1, the supporting member 25 being perforated to receive the mounting ears 22 and the shaft 26, the ears 22 being adapted to be bent over against the supporting member 25. In this form of the invention, the mounting ears 22 are provided with shoulder portions 21 which serve to space the variable resistance device 20 from the supporting member 25 thus preventing grounding of the terminals 20 on the supporting member 25.

Fig. 3 shows a variable resistance device MI in position to be mounted on a supporting member I02, the variable resistance device IOI comprising a. drawn or die pressed cupped casing member I03 having a plurality of integral securing ears I04 extending in the direction of the side wall of the casing member I03 which latter is secured by the ears I04 to a substantially circular drawn or die pressed mounting member I05. The mounting member I05 .has substantially the form of a disk with a series of spaced mounting ears I 06 extending perpendicularly from the periphery and slots I01 intermediate the mounting ears I06, the slots I 01 being of a size to receive the securing ears I 04 of the casing member I03 which'latter ears I04 are bent over against the exterior face of the mounting member I05,

A substantially circular base I00 formed of insulating material carrie: a flat resistance element I09 of the type comprising a paper strip having a carbonaceous conducting coating thereon. The base I08 has a laterally projecting portion IIO provided with-three slots III in which are locked terminal members II2 the outer two of which are electrically connected to the resistance element I09 by rivets (not shown). The casing member I03 has a cut-away portion II3 to receive the projecting portion IIO of the base I00 and the terminals II2; the mounting member 7 a shaft I I6 journaled in a bearing constituted. by

an integralcollar I I1 turned up from the mounting member I05 and entering the perforation III in the base I03; the end of the shaft II6 has a circular slot I I8 which engages an integral collar I I0 turned up from the casing member I03 to serve as a bearing'for the shaft II6; the slot Ill-may be filled with a lubricating material. 7

The portion I of the shaft II6 adjacent'the end is serrated and carries a metallic plate-like actuator I2I which is attached to the shaft H6, 20 the actuator being serrated and having a press fl t with the shaft I I5. Riveted or otherwise suitably attached to the plate is a contactor arm I22 having a tip entering a perforation I23 in a diskshaped contact shoe I24 to hold the shoev I24 In contact with the resistance element I09. The peripheral portion of the actuator I2I carries an insulating stop member I25 positioned to strike alternately against .inturned lug portions I26 of the casing member I03 to limit the movementlof the actuator I2I in either-direction of rotation thereof by the shaft H6. 1 Y i A current collector I21 formed of spring material has a warped annular portion I20 surrounding the shaft I I6 and bearing against the surface of the actuator I2I and a taiI-likeexten n I23 terminals II2 by a rivet I30. The current collector I21 is insulated from the shaft H6 and maintained in position 1 by an insulating collar I3I having slotted portions engaging respectively the tail portion I20 and a downturned lug portion I32 diametr cally opposite the tail portion A rigid circular strip I33 of insulating material.

- 45 for example impregnated paper, is disposed around the side walls of the casing member I03 to serve the plural functions of insulating the live elements from thehousing, spacing the casing members and closing the cut-away portion.

I The manner of assembly of the device is asfollows: Q

The shaft H6 and its associated members are assembled on the mounting member I05 in a. manner whichwill be apparent from the drawings, and

the casing I03, the'mounting member, together with the shaft. II6 and-associated elements, and the casing I03 are assembled and the securing ears I04 are bent over againstthe base I05 to 60 secure the casing and the mounting member togather.

a series of laterally extending flanges I34 or shoulders providing a series of seats, the purpose of which will hereinafter be explained. I 70 inserted in a circular perforation I35 and a series of circularly disposed slots I36 respectively in the supporting member 102. A die having two principal members I31, I38 is positioned to receive 5 front side oftheisupporting member 2I2.

- In this form of the invention the device 20I is 75 the device (as shown in Figs. 8 and 9) with a relaelectrically connected to the center one or the the insulating strip I33 having been positioned in- The shaft II6 and the mounting ears I06 are tively deep depression l3! in one of the die members I31receiving the casing I03 and a relatively A shallow depression I40 in the other die member I30 receiving the mounting ears I06.

Theflrst die member I31 is provided with a 5 shoulder portion I4I engaging the seats constituted by the laterally extending flanges I34 whereby all-of the pressure exerted by the die member I31 is applied to the flanges I34. As the die members I31,,I30 are moved together the l0' curved sides of the shallow depression I40 bearagainst the outer sides of the ends of the mountin'g ears I06 to bend the latter inwardly and against the face of the supporting member I02.

As will be seen from the drawings, the-die mem- .15 ber I31 exerts no pressure upon the casing member I03 and hence there is no strain on or defor-. mation of the casing member I03. 'Also, it will be obvious that the force exerted on the mounting ,member I05 by the die member I31 is applied 20 at the peripheral portion of the mounting. mem-, ber I05 substantially along a line extending longitudinally of the mounting ears I06, whereby the mounting member I05 is subjected to substantially no bending stress at the peripheral portion. 25

The mounting ears I06 are formed with the shoulder portions I42 which extend peripheri'ily around the mounting member I05 between the slots I01. These shoulder portions I42 provide a series of seats of substantial area firmly abut- 30 ting the supporting member I02 and serve to space the exterior face of the base l00 from the supporting member I02 whereby the terminals II2 will not contact the supporting member I02 and ground the connections thereto. The shbul- 35 der portions I42 also provide a seat of substantial area for the .shoulder portion I of the die member I31 whereby the unit pressure is less than would be thecareze if the narrow portion of the ears I06 sprung immediately from the prin- 40 cipal portion of the mounting member I05.

Figs. 10 and 11 show still another embodiment of the invention wherein the variable resistance device 20I comprises a cupped casing member 202, a base 203 ;supporting a flat resistance ele- 45 ment-204 anda set of terminals 205. A flat mounting member 206 is held against the base 203 by securing ears 201 formed integral with the cupped casing member 202 and bent over against the mounting member 206 to secure the base 203 over the end of the casing 202 toclose the end thereof. 1

The mounting member 206, shown'by itself in Fig. 13; comprises a flat plate having mounting ears 208 struck from the material constituting the intermediate portion and an intumed, integral bearing portion 203 adapted to enter a perforation(nct shown) in the base 203m a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 3. The mounting member 206 is provided with a cut-out portion 2I0 which, permits the member 206 to lie flat against the base 203' without contacting the ter-' minals .205 and a series of slots v2I.I to receive the .securingears201 thereby preventing rota- 7 tion of the mounting member-206. The supporting member 2 I 2-is provided with a perforation 2 I3 to receive the shaft and slotted perforations 2I4 for. the mounting ears 200 and is also provided with an enlarged perforation 2I5havin'g such a shape that it, will receive the terminals 205 when 7 0 the device ,20I lies flat against the supporting member 2I2 and suchthat it-will permit access to the free ends of the terminals 205 from the clamped to the supporting member 2l2 by twisting the ears 208 through 90 of rotation, at least one of the ears 208 preferably being twisted in a diiferent direction of rotation than the remaining ears 208. As will be seen from Figs. 17to 19, the twisting of the ear 208 causes the forward corners to bite into opposite curved portions of the walls of the slot 2 thereby securely locking the ear 208 against all movement with respect to the slotted supporting member 2l2. The slot 2M may be formed sufficiently larger than the ear 208 to permit easy entrance of the ear 208 since to obtain a satisfactory locking action it is only necessary that the corners of the ear 208 engage the curved portions of the slot walls when the ear is twisted.

The twisting of the ears 208 may be accomplished in a very simple manner and without the application of any substantial pressure in the casing member. Preferably the twisting is done by the use of a hand tool (not shown) provided with a slot adapted to receive the ear. A 90 twist of the tool bends the ear and draws the member to which the ear is attached into firm abutment with the slotted supporting member.

In Fig. 12 is shown a variable resistance device similar to that shown in Fig. and mounted similarly except that instead of a perforated supporting member, a supporting member 2l6 is provided with a recessed portion 2l'l having a shape similar to that of the perforation. Since the supporting member 216 is imperforate in front of the terminals 205, the latter are well shielded against any undesirable electrostatic or electro-magnetic disturbances likely to cause undesirable noises in the variable resistance device The twisted form of ear may also be applied to the type of variable resistance device in which the closed end of a cupped casing abuts the supporting member. This form is shown in Figs. 14 to 16 wherein a variable resistance device 30! comprises a cupped casing member 302 and a cover member 303 telescoped thereover constitute the casing for the device. The cupped casing member 302 has struck from the material constituting its intermediate portion, a plurality of mounting ears 304.

The device 30l is mounted as above described, on a supporting member 305 suitably perforated and the ears 304 entering the respective perforations 306 and being twisted about their respective center lines to clinch the casing member 302 against the supporting member 305.

The variable resistance device 30| will be seen to be flat against the supporting member 305; inasmuch as the terminals 30! extend from the side wall of the casing member 302 and are thus spaced from the supporting member 305, no perforation, or indentation, or other provision for preventing grounding of the terminals 301 on the supporting member 305 need be made.

It will now be apparent that the invention provides a novel mounting means for variable resistance devices of the general type herein disclosed. It should be obvious that the invention is not limited to the specific type of device herein shown but may be practiced in connection with any variable resistance device or other device having a similar construction. It is further to be noted that the invention may be applied to variable resistance devices having other arrangements and types of resistance elements and contactors and that the invention may be applied also to multiple unit devices and variable resistance devices combined with other devices such as switches.

We claim:

1. In combination with a variable resistance device having a cupped housing, a base plate positioned in the open face of said housing, a metallic mounting member positioned adjacent the external surface of said base plate, means on said housing for securing said base plate and said mounting member to said housing, and ears formed on said mounting member and extending therefrom for securing said variable resistance device to a supporting element.

2. In combination with a variable resistance device having a cupped housing and a base plate positioned in the open face of said housing, a metallic mounting member positioned adjacent the external surface of said base plate, means on said housing for securing said base plate and mounting member to said housing, aligned journal bearings in said housing and mounting member, an actuating shaft for said variable resistance device mounted for rotation in said journal bearings, and ears formed on said mounting member and extending therefrom for securing said variable resistance device to a supporting element.

3. A variable resistance device having in combination, a cupped housing, ears extending from the free edge of said cupped housing, a mounting member, notches in the marginal'edge of said mounting member, said ears projecting through said notches to secure the mounting member to said housing, spaced portions extending perpendicularly from the plane of said mounting member, mounting ears on said spaced portions and stop shoulders adjacent said ears for mounting said variable resistance device in spaced relationship with a supporting element.

4. A variable resistance device having in combination, a housing, a mounting member secured to one end of said housing, said mounting member provided with portions extending laterally beyond the periphery of said housing, ofl-set mounting ears extending perpendicularly from the said laterally extending portions, whereby said ears are adapted to project through a supporting element with the off-set portions thereof spacing the variable resistance device from the supporting element.

5. In combination with a supporting member, a variable resistance device having a cupped housing, a closure member for the open face of said housing, ears extending from the free edge of said housing and bent to secure the closure member to said housing, a plurality of broad extensions of the free edge of said housing, ears formed on said broad extensions leaving shoulder portions adjacent the ears, said last-named ears projecting through an aperture in said supporting member with the said shoulder portions abutting against said supporting member to secure the variable resistance device thereto in spaced relationship.

6. -A variable resistance device having in combination, a cupped housing, a base plate positioned in the open face of said housing, a metallic mounting member positioned adjacent the external surface of said base plate, integral means on said housing for securing said base plate and mounting member to said housing, a shaft for actuating said variable resistance device, aligned journal bearings for said shaft in the housing and mounting member, and integral fastening means on said mounting member and extending aoeasca member substantially covering a face of the housing and having portions extending beyond the edge of the face of the casing, said portions being bent away from the casing to form narrow shoulders closely adjacent the edge of the casing, and securing ears extending from the edges of said extended portions.

8. In a variable resistance device, in combination a casing housing the resistance, a mounting member substantially covering a face of the housing and having portions extending beyond the edge of the face of the casing, ears on the casing extending between said portions to secure the casing to the mounting member, and securing ears extending from the edgesof said extended portions of the mounting member.

9. In a variable resistance tion a casing housingthe resistance, a mounting device, in combinamember substantially covering a face of the housing and having portions extending beyond the edge of the face of the casing, the ends of said extended portions being bent perpendicular to the mounting member away from the casing, said ends comprising securing ears, and spacing shoulders adjacent the ears.

10. In a variable resistance device, in combination a casing housing the resistance, a mounting member substantially covering a face of the housing and having portions extending beyond the edge of the face of the casing, the ends of said extended portions being bent perpendicular to the mounting member away from the casing, said ends comprising securing ears, and spacing shoulders adjacent the ears, and ears on the periphery of the casing extending between the extended portions of the mounting member and. bent against the face of the mounting member to se' cure the casing to the mounting member.

, NEWTON C. SCHEILENGER.

MERVIN B. ARISMAN. 

